


Stop!

by fangirl2013



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Beating, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Love, Punishment, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:50:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3780508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/pseuds/fangirl2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anne had always assumed 'battered to a pulp' was an exaggeration. She quickly finds out it's not!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stop!

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't anything really. I hope you don't mind it, anyway

Nausea rose up in her. The sound of fists hitting her husband's flesh repulsed her and she desperately felt the desire to turn away. Anything so she could block out the god-awful sounds. As much as she wanted to look away, she found herself unable to. Her eyes were wide and full of shock as she watched Richard being pinned against the wall. Anne half expected him to fight or struggle as George and Edward pinned him by his arms but Richard merely looked calm. He also didn't beg them to stop. 

'If that was me, I'd definitely be begging right now,' Anne thought frantically, as she looked to the men in her kitchen. 

She'd never seen Edward as furious and she felt herself flinch as she watched his fist collide with Richard's face. The sight of blood erupting from Richard's mouth should have deterred her from looking but if anything, the sight of intrigued her. It seemed almost odd to her that something small could cause so much blood. She watched, with half-frightened and intrigued filled eyes, as it trickled down his chin and down to his throat. 

"Did you do it?" Edward's voice was calm, too calm as he talked to Richard. 

Richard didn't respond to his brother's question but merely looked straight ahead aimlessly. His gaze looked completely unfocused and disinterested. Anne could hardly blame him. After all, with each punch, Edward's fury was intensifying and so as a result, the punches had become harder too. Perhaps, Edward had hurt him too much so that he couldn't talk? Anne couldn't help but wonder, panicking slightly. 

'I've got to say something. If I don't, he'll keep doing it all night and all because of me.' Edward looked ready to punch again, the look of fury back on his handsome and normally kind face. Her heart began to pound erratically in her chest and words seemed to vanish from her head. 

The sound of Richard coughing filled her with guilt. If she hadn't told Edward about his affair, there wouldn't have needed to be any violence. Edward seemed to be of a completely different view. Anne looked and hoped Edward would show mercy to his brother as he coughed and to a certain extent, he did. Edward waited (refraining from throwing another punch) until Richard had grown silent again. 

George hadn't seen the need for mercy and so as a result, as soon as Edward had stopped, his own punches started. Avoiding hitting Richard's already bloodied face, he'd aimed to his brother's stomach. Richard had been caught unaware and a grunt of pain had quickly filled Anne's ears. Once again, Anne felt sick. The amount of blood coming from Richard's mouth was nauseating and she knew she had to say something, to intervene. For her conscience if nothing else.

"George! You could have at least waited until he'd stopped coughing. There'll be blood all over the floor." Edward's displeasure was clear but the tone of his voice was calm. Too calm. It made Anne shudder. There was something faintly odd hearing a brother talking about beating his younger brother to a pulp as calmly as if it was the weather. Anne had expected to hear at least a little concern in his voice. There was none, however. 

At his words, George simply shrugged. It clear to everyone in the room, he didn't care about Edward's displeasure. That or he was pretending not to. Although, the brothers had turned their attention away from Richard, Anne had not. Richard's gaze was boring into her and she could see a plea for help in his eyes. It made them look sad. The ever darkening bruise under his left eye, however, captivated her attention. It looked angry and painful. It made her feel worse than the plea in his once lovely eyes. 

Finally, she found her voice. It was louder than she expected but nonetheless, it caught the men's attention. Due to their shocked expressions, she wondered if they'd forgotten that she was still in the room. 

"Stop! Please, he's your brother." She shouted to them, her voice sounding more confident than she felt. Their hold on Richard loosened considerably, so much so that Anne watched as her husband slumped against the wall. Anne realised quickly that his knees had buckled underneath him. Pity and unhappiness flooded through her and she felt tears fill her eyes at the sight.

Edward's anger seemed to vanish and his gaze softened considerably. He walked towards her as if to comfort her and Anne felt no need to be afraid. She knew he'd never hurt her, despite the violence she'd just witnessed at his hands. 

"Anne, sweetheart, he broke your heart and betrayed us. He deserves this...He deserves more than this!" His voice was calm but he knew he was trying to persuade her. His eyes held a plea, just like Richard's had but for a completely different reason. He needed her to understand his actions. 

Seeing that his words held no effect on her, he reached out to cup her face. Despite the gesture being kind and affectionate, Anne couldn't help but flinch away from him. His hand, especially, his knuckles were covered with blood. The sight of it unsettled her stomach. Edward noticed her reaction and for a few moments, appeared to feel hurt. He quickly moved back from her. His voice was stiff when he spoke next, obviously thinking she was scared of him. 

"If you still love him, I'll stop..." He told her, his gaze turning back to Richard. 

His words words surprised her but it also gave her an opportunity to keep him from hitting Richard even more. Of course she still loved him, despite everything that had happened. Surely, Edward could understand that? 

"I do. Give him a proper chance to explain himself. You just keep punching him!" She sounded stern but she couldn't help it. 

Edward frowned at her words, as if he was annoyed at her. She watched as the expression on his face hardened. For a moment or two, Anne wished she hadn't spoken to him like that. 

"How would you react if it was your daughter he'd been seeing!?" He demanded of her, his eyes blazing at her. 

She shook her head quickly at his words, refusing to answer him. After all, answering him would make the situation worse and she definitely didn't want or need that. Just as she was about to answer him, Richard beat her to it, finally speaking. His voice sounding croaky and full of pain. 

"I am not seeing her. I never have been! She's my niece, for fuck sake." Richard looked at them imploringly, hoping they'd believe him. Edward didn't seem to react to his earnest words but Anne reacted instantly. She wanted to believe him so badly. 

Richard let out a painful sounding sigh after he'd spoken and she wondered if one of his ribs was hurting him too. Talking had obviously hurt him too...

"But you were out of the house when Lizzy said you were with her. If you weren't with her, where were you?" She sounded hopeful as she spoke to him and Edward quickly spotted it. His gaze turned to her, questioningly. 

At odds with the violence he'd experienced, Richard smiled at her words. It soon turned into a grimace as he felt the cost of his brother's punches. Even so, Anne returned his smile. There was something in it that made her want to smile back at him. 

"Look in there. The left pocket. I did it that afternoon. It's for our anniversary." Richard's voice softened as he spoke of their anniversary and Anne quickly scrambled to the kitchen table where his jacket had been thrown. With shaking hands, she searched in the pocket he'd said, hoping desperately there'd be something in there. A wide smile came to her face as she realised there. 

In a red velvet box, was a ring. The rubies glinted in the light of kitchen as she opened the box and she heard herself gasp, softly. She recognised the ring immediately. It had once belonged to her Mother but from years of use, one of the stones had become lost. Looking at the newly restored ring, Anne's composure finally broke. Her tears rolled quickly down her cheeks, leaving tracks in their wake. 

All York men looked panicked at the sight of Anne crying. She appeared small and fragile. Richard, especially, looked upset and quickly began to talk. 

"The receipt is in there too, Anne. If you don't believe me!" Looking at Richard, she felt no desire to look for it. She believed him already.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment


End file.
